Artificial denture



Mar. 27, 1923- L. J. WEINSTEIN ARTIFICIAL DENTUREQ Original Filed May 5, 1921 Patented Mar. 27, 1923.

1,450,012 UETED S ATES TEN O ICE LOUIS J'. VIEINSTEIN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ARTIFICIAL DENTURE.

Application filed May 5, 1921, Serial No. 467,089.

been used for attaching partial plates or extensions to the natural teeth, and in nearly all cases these latter have suffered permanent injury from the use of such removable attachments, due to the fact that such attachments are of the rigid type and, no allowance being made for the movement of the free end of the denture into the soft tissue covering the alveolar process, contact with the teeth of the opposite jaw creates a leverage action as a result of which the supporting tooth or abutment becomes loosened in a short time.

This serious objection to the use of partial plates or extensions is eliminated in the present invention, wherein I have provided an attachment which is yieldable to such extent that the denture, through the initial impact of the opposing j aws, is firmly applied on the alveolus before the full force of the jaws is exerted thereon, and the supporting tooth or teeth hence not subject to leverage action.

Referring to the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of a model of a portion of a jaw provided with my improved denture.

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail of the supporting attachment.

Fig. 4 is an elevation of th attachment.

Fig. 5 is an edge View thereof.

Fig. 6 is a section on 6-6 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 7 is a plan view of Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is an edge view of the attaching element.

Fig. 9 is an elevation thereof.

Fig. 10 is amodification of the retaining flange.

The attachment consists of a sleeve or socket member 11, for example, of gold or other suitable material, and a yieldable ele ment 12 removably slidable therein. The

Renewed January 5, 192 3.

element 12 consists essentially of a rigid part 13 and a yieldable part 15 definitely spaced apart and connected together by a transverse part 1 1, the said parts 13 and 15 being substantially parallel with each other.

The yieldable element 15 is constructed of suitable resilient material, for example the well known dental spring or clasp metal, which yields on impact of the opposing jaws during mastication or other movements of these jaws; the free end 16 of this yieldable part 15 may be bent in toward the rigid part 13, as in Fig. 6, or may be straight, as in Figs. 8 and 10, according to the degree of compressibility desired.

The saddle or extension 17, on the model 18, on which the artificial teeth (not shown) are attached, is not supported posteriorly and, during mastication or other movement of the jaws, is forced to a certain extent into the soft tissue covering the alveolar process. It is obvious that under such conditions, which always obtain, such movement of the denture, when exerted on an attachment of the rigid type, directly affects the supporting tooth, which is quickly loosened in its alveolar socket. This result is impossible with the use of yieldable or compressible attachment since, at the beginning of the contact of the teeth of the jaws or initial impact, the saddle 17 is first applied against and firmly seated in the soft alveolar tissue where no leverage can be exerted on the supporting tooth, this being effected through the yielding of the compressible element 15 of the member 12, awedge-shaped space, such as at 19, being provided for the movement of the saddle 17 toward the supporting tooth.

The rigid part 13 of the attachment 12 may have attached thereto a flange 20, of suitable material, for example, gold or other metal, by means of which it may be permanently united to a gold or other saddle by soldering, casting or the like, as shown in Figs. 5, '6 and 8; or said part 13 may be provided with a perforated or otherwise roughened or serrated lug 21 to be embedded in vulcanite saddle or other denture, as in Fig. 10.

I claim:

1. In an artificial denture, a saddle, an end of which is adapted to lie freely on the alveolar ridge, an anchorage attached to an abutment, and an element compressible at the initial impact of mastication and adaptalveolar ridge, an anchorage attached to an abutment, and an element compressible at the initial impact of mastication and adapted to engage in said anchorage and removably connect said saddle and said abutment, said compressible element comprising a rigid portion attached to said saddle and a resilient compressible portion attached to and parallel With said rigid portion, said resilient portion having a free end extending toward the alveolar ridge.

In testimony whereof I affix my slgnature. 25

LOUIS J. WEINSTEIN. 

